Why Does NIDA Study Addiction in Teens?

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Screengrab of Brandon Thomas Lee and Dr. Volkow
Image by NIDA.

The actor Brandon Thomas Lee recently sat down with NIDA’s Director, Dr. Nora Volkow, for a virtual conversation about addiction, recovery, mental health, and how COVID-19 affects it all.

One of Brandon’s questions was, “NIDA does a lot of research focused on teenage/young adult drug use in particular—why is that?” Watch Dr. Volkow's answer:

The teen brain is like a computer program that’s still being coded. Because it’s developing, it’s more vulnerable than the adult brain to changes caused by drug use. 

Want to know more and be empowered with information to make informed decisions about drugs and drug use? Check out our page on Drugs and the Brain. And watch Brandon Thomas Lee’s full interview with Dr. Volkow.